The local church in Albany inherited this King Skink some time ago, it lives in the garden at the side of the main building, and during the day he hangs out under the culvert drain lid by the side door, and comes out when safe. He was ready for flight but didn’t rush off, he seems quite used to human interaction. He wasn’t keen to go anyway as he was enjoying the summer sun. I love the markings. The photo doesn’t show how glossy his skin is, it really gleamed in the light. He watched me closely, and seemed happy to be the center of attention, when I passed by later he was still there.

Our son Jon and his wife Anna began a keyhole garden some two years ago, note the angle of teh bricks, the photo is just a segment of this vast permaculture process. I have done raised garden beds, but not in this style. The graphic below (from: davesgarden.com) explains the simplicity and theory well in visual form

This photo (api.ning.com) shows what it looks like early on, this one is laid with bricks flat. People have made them out of metal sheeting, plastic liners, cardboard, etc. In this photo you can see the central compost tower which receives your scraps daily and which feeds the garden daily. The raised bed is moisture retaining and ergonomic in that it is ideal for waist height gardening. It is drought resistant too, and water wise. It is a no dig garden, and permaculture is the theory behind it. It works well by every testimony online, and Jon has said before it has worked well for them. What a great theory!

The British vintage car and mortorcycle show in Canberra (2016), a lot of the usual types, Austins, Rovers, Minis, Rolls, a Norton Comando, and a Triumph or two. All beuatifully restored and good on the eye. But then there was this, a roadster, and I forgot to note what it was exactly, my memory says Jaguar. But what I see is elegance, which is not something I would normally say about a mechanical object, but this one is smooth and sleek, a mechanical beauty, that draws me.

Okay, so we’re on the road a fair while and we decide to take a break and book a motel so we can shower, do the washing and rest for a couple of days. Motel was fine, we all shared an apartment. Well, all was fine cept for the shower head. Fortunately Geoff carries everything one might need to fix things at short notice. Geoff is resourceful, and often reminds me of MacGyver, but better, who can work with anything. The shower head collapsed, the wing nut which held it tight had faulty thread, and when we turned the water on it fell down everytime. But Geof fixed it, and he made a jolly good job of it too. The important thing was we all got our showers. The best thing about this was the simplicity, I was thinking hardware store, Geoff just thought cable ties.

When you head north, especially inland, you need to be cautious about a number of things. Water supply, food, shelter, Eperb, and so on. Fuel is the other. We carried around sixty litres spare on board. We didn’t really need it, but at least it was there if we did. The photo shows fuel bowsers, all locked up. There’s a degree of caution in these parts due to theft and damage. If you want fuel, it’s still self-serve, once the attendant comes and unlocks the cage for you. In years gone by some of the young people out here turned to sniffing petrol to relieve the misery. But now they sell a low arromatic fuel that prevents you getting high, so it’s no longer a major problem. They sell diesel too. Nowadays, it’s pure theft, you can hot wire a pump just like a car, and with the cost of fuel out here, there’s a motive for some. So, as I was saying, a degree of caution …

I don’t know how long the sign has been there, I’m guessing thirty years, but it could do with a clean and some fresh varnish. On the one hand I’d like to leave the lichen undisturbed, on the other hand, the sign is slowly disappearing and it is crucial to the trail directions. It represents the constant dilemma of balance in eco relationships. What is really so important that one life form must surrender to another? Maybe I’ll leave off the varnish.

A popular tourist stop along the West MacDonnell Ranges is Ormiston Gorge, probably because it is the most accessible water hole to visit along the route. It was also the largest body of water out of all the gorges we visited, the bird-life was vast, and there were fish as well. Ormiston is picturesque and very attractive, and is an oasis in a rugged landscape. I find it very restful when wilderness travelling to encounter a gorge or a creek, something about water and life, a sense of security maybe, but more than that pleasure and hope. The rich texture and the colour of the ancient rock, and the bush around, is a contrast to the sand and water. The water is restful on the eyes and ever cooling. The bird calls a sign of life and future, there is new life birthing here. And our friends the trees ever breathing for us. A beautiful experience to be treasured. A veritable feast to gorge our eyes on the gorge before us.

Poland was a facinating place to visit, a country with a rich and sometimes tragic history. We spent a considerable time in Warsaw, but we did visit another importnat city – Krakow, which used to be the capital of the Kingdom of Poland, until the captial was, in stages, relocated to Warsaw. Warsaw became the economic and political capital around 1611, but Krakow remained the capital of the kingdom till the late 18th century. Today Warsaw is the capital of Poland, but Krakow is still considered the cultural capital. And it did appeal to me, it was rich in music and the arts in general. The sections we saw of the city were only a slice of life, but I experienced it as very bohemian (wonderful), free thinking, and a place of learning. If I had to relocate to Poland I would certainly choose to live in Krakow, I felt at home, as if there were kindred spirits roaming there.